The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-06-23

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| the sea, or went down with all on board
under the stroke Of q gunboat, there re-
| manned the shark and the whale and the
endless tossing Of the sea which can not
rest. How will you find their graves for
this National decoration2 Nothing but
the archangel's trumpet shall reach their
lowly bed. A few of them have been
| gathered into naval cemeteries of the
land, and you will garland the sod that
covers them, but who will put flowers on
the fallen crew Of the exploded Westfeld
| and Shawsheen and the sunken South
| field and the Winfield Scott. Bullets
| threatening in front, bombs threatening
from above, torpedoes threatening from
beneath, and the ian, with it's reputa-
| tion of 6, 900 years for shipwreck lying all
| around-am not right in saying it re-
quired a SPECIAL courage for the navyi
1t looks picturesque and beautiful to
see war vessel going out through the
Narrows, sailors in new rig singing:
A life on the ocean wave.
| home on the rolling deepi
the colors gracefully dipping to passing
| ships, the decks Immediately clean, and
the guns at quarantine firing parting
salute. But the poetry is all gone out of
that ship as it comes out of that engage
ment, its decks red with human blood,
wheel-house gone, the cabin pile of
shattered mirrors and destroyed furni-
ture, steering wheel broken, smoke-stack
crushed, a one-hundred- pound Whitworth
rifle shot having left its mark from port to
starboard, the shrouds rent away, ladders
splintered and decks plowed up, and
smoke blackened and scalded corpses
lying among those who are gasping their
last gasp, far away from home and kim
dred, whom they love as much as we love
wife and parents and children. Not wait
ing until you are dead to put upon your
graves wreath of recognition, this hour
we put on your living brow the garland
Of a nations praise.
o, men of the Western Gulf squadron,
of the Eastern Gulf squadron, of the
South Atlantic squadron, of the North
Atlantic squadron, of the West India
squadron and of the Potomac flotilla, hear
our thanksl Take the benediction of our
churches. Accept the Inequalities of the
nation. II we had our way we would get
you not only pension, but home and a
Pprincely wardrobe, and an equipage and
banquet while you live, and after your
departure catafalq ne, and mausoleum
OF sculptured marble, with model of the
ship In which you won the day. 1t is con-
sidered gallant thing when in naval
fight the flagship, with its blue ensign,
goes ahead up river or into bay, its
Admiral standing IN the shrouds watching
and giving orders. But I have to tell you,
veterans Of the American navy, if you
are as loyal to Christ as you were to
the Government there is a flag ship sail.
ing ahead of you of which Christ Is the
Admiral, and he watches from the
shrouds, and the heavens are the blue
ensign, and he leads you toward the har-
Dor, and all the broad-sides of earth and
hell can not damage you, and We, whose
garments were once red with your own
blood, shall have a robe washed and made
white in the blood of the Lamb. Then
strike eight bellsi High noon in heaven
With such anticipation, o veterans of
the American navy! I charge you bear
up under the aches and weaknesses that
you still carry from the war times. You
are not as stalwart as you would have
been but for that nervous strain and for
that terrible exposure. Let every ache
and pain, instead Of depressing, remind
You of your fidelity. The sinking of the
Weehawken of Morris Island, December
., 1868, was mystery. She was not under
f1re. The sea was not rough. But Ad-
miral Dahlgren, from the deck Of the flag
steamer Philadelphia, saw her gradually
sinking, and finally she struck the ground,
but the flag still foated above the waves
In the sight of the shipping. It was after
ward found that she sank from weakness
through injuries received in previous
service. Her plates had been knocked
loose In previous times. So you have in
nerve, and muscle, and bone, and dimmed
eyesight, and difficult hearing and short
ness OF breath many intimations that you
are gradually going down. It is the
service Of twenty-three years ago that is
telling on you. Be Of good cheer. We
owe you just as much as though your life
blood had gurgled through the scuppers
OF the ship in the Red River expedition, or
as though you had gone down with the
Melville OF Hatteras, Only keep your
Tag flying as did the illustrious Wee
kawken.
Good cheer. my boysi The memory of
man is poor, and all that talk about the
country never forgetting those who
fought for it is an untruth. It does for
get Witness how the veterans some
times had to turn the hand-organs on the
street to get their families living. Wit
ness how ruthlessly some of them have
been turned out of Office that some bloat
OF politician might take their place.
Witness the fact that there Is not man
or woman now under thirty years Of age
who has any full appreciation of the four
years. martyrdom of 1861 to 1865 inclu.
sive. But while men may forget, God
never forgets. He remembers the swing
ing hammock He remembers the fore
castle. He remembers the frozen ropes
OF that January tempest. He remembers
the amputati0n without sufficient ether.
he remembers the horrors of that
deafening night when forts from both
sides belched on you their fury, and the
heavens glowed with the ascend
ing and descending missiles of death,
and your ship quaked under the re-
coil OF the 10O-pounder, while all
the gunners, according to command, stood
on tiptoe with mouth wide open lest the
concussion shatter hearing or brain. He
remembers it all better than you remem-
Der It, and in some shape reward will be
given. God is the best Of all paymasters,
and Tor those who do their whole duty to
Him and the world the pension awarded
is an everlasting Heaven.
Sometimes of the coast Of En- GLAND the
royal family have inspected the British
navy, Unanswered before them for that
purpose. In the Baltic sea the Gar
and Czarina have reviewed the Rus